By Dr. Sawraj Singh

One likely aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic can be that eastern values are likely to prevail over western values. The world most likely will not be the same. In the last two centuries which can be called the western dominated centuries, western values prevailed over eastern values. However, division between the eastern and the western values is arbitrary. The real division should be between the traditional or established human values and the consumerist values of capitalism. For example, before the last two centuries of domination of capitalism, Christianity laid the foundation of the western civilization.  The Christian values are the same as the traditional eastern values.                                               

Christianity preached moderation, austerity, humility, sharing and forgiveness. These are exactly the same qualities which are considered the ideal qualities in a person by the eastern civilizations. Therefore, in the last analysis, the east and the west have revered the same human values. However, consumerism of capitalism has turned these values upside down. Extravagance, arrogance, selfishness, greed and revenge are the hallmarks of capitalism. Both Christianity and the eastern values revere peace, tranquility, harmony and stability as opposed to the constant agitated, aggressive and wandering state of mind induced by consumerist capitalism.             

 All the traits considered negative and undesirable were zealously promoted by consumerist capitalism and these reached their peak in the pseudo globalization which is economic only and lacks any ethical aspect or a universal perspective. In this globalization greed of the capitalists reached their peak. To fully exploit the cheap labor from anywhere in the globe, the capitalists have promoted human mobility and mixing to a level which is unprecedented in human history. The present coronavirus pandemic is a living proof of such wrong policies. Now they are trying to curtail all movements and mixing of the people.                                                                                                                                                                 

We generally associate modernity with capitalism. However, capitalism has pushed people toward primitiveness by inciting the primitive instincts in the people like selfishness, greed and aggression. People seek instant gratification rather than lasting peace and bliss (Anand). For example, people seek instant gratification from eating and drinking. In the last 50 years we can see tremendous change in people’s life style in the Punjabis as the result of adopting consumerist values and giving up their traditional culture and values. This happened as a result of western imperialist attack on Punjab, first in the form of the so-called Green Revolution and then in the form of unnatural imperialist induced migration from Punjab.                                                                                                                                                           

The traditional lifestyle and values have been almost completely lost and have been replaced by the western capitalist values of consumerism. The old people were considered promoters and protectors of our traditional lifestyle and values. As people got older they started gradually withdrawing from worldly affairs and paying more attention to the spiritual aspect of their lives. They used to stay more at home and recite gurbani or read religious texts. Now we see unprecedented mobility of the older people. Many of them are on the constant move, from Canada to Australia and then to Punjab. Even in Punjab they are constantly on the move. Their number one priority in Punjab seems to be shopping. The families give them long lists to buy in Punjab and bring them back to Canada. Instead of reciting gurbani, their main interest is now watching their favorite TV shows on the Color TV or Star Plus TV.                                  

In the old days the elderly people used to show moderation in eating and drinking. However, now, for many of them eating and drinking has become a very big priority in life. When I used to travel from North America to India, I was very pained to see how our elderly people demanded more drinks and food from the air hostesses, the men asking for more alcoholic drinks and the women asking for more soft drinks and snacks. We had a stopover of about 4-5 hours in an Asian airport. I felt that this is a good time to walk in the airport. However, I would be shocked to see that many of our older people eating food they brought from home like parathas and the young people eating in the restaurants as if they did not have enough food on the plane.                                                                                                                   

Capitalist consumer virus has proved far more dangerous for us than the coronavirus. It has destroyed our culture and value system which took thousands of years to evolve. Not only have we lost our youth which has almost completely lost our culture and values, we are also losing our elderly whom we considered the most stable sect as far as culture and values are concerned.                                                                               

 I feel that the world will never be the same in the aftermath of this coronavirus epidemic. The faults of capitalism and the damage it has done to the world will become obvious and the world will not be the same. The failure of capitalism and its consumer culture will make people realize that they were in the wrong to abandon their eastern or Christian values and adopt consumerism. There is a hope that they may like to go back to their original culture and value system. The western dominated capitalist world order will be replaced by a new order where everybody will be treated as equal and will be requested.

Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at sawrajsingh@hotmail.com.